'Mirror of Retribution'
2009
Review By Mick (the beard) Staley
If like me you thought that Taiwan was only good for wide screen plasmas and toys that break by Boxing Day, prepare to have your eyes and ears opened to their latest and possibly greatest export. Metal!
Spine farm records seem to have a knack for finding hidden gems or should I say pearls in this case.
From track one, ’Autoscopy’, I was hooked by their
Old school riffs, played with a modern twist at ultra fast speed, and delivered with brutality.
The interplay between the oriental sound and trad metal is an attack on the senses, but sounds so right that you have to wonder why it has taken so long to come up with the concept.
Death style vocals, mix with haunting oriental sounds all put together with superfast shredding.
The combination of oriental instrumentals and western guitar really works even though you think it shouldn’t, giving the band its unique sound.
I liken it to an oriental version of ‘Viking’ metal, as it mixes ancient culture with modern metal as the Scandinavians do.
This unique style continues through the whole album, ‘Blooming Blades’, ‘Hearts Condemned’, to name just a few are all great tracks. The brutality of modern metal mixed with the classic haunting sound of the Far East.
I have heard nothing like it before, so to make an analogy to another band, would not do Chthonic justice, all I can tell you is that its epic stuff well worth a listen.
It is a great sound with great imagery too.
These guys are certainly going to make big waves on the metal circuit; I only hope that they don’t get genrecised, as it will narrow their audience, when everyone should give them a try.
Ok I know I invented the word, 'genrecised' but you know what I mean so don’t be an anorak and write in about it.
